The New Year started on a happy note at Keeneland as the January horses of all ages sale finished its opening session in Lexington Jan. 10 with huge increases of 62.2% in gross and 53.5% in average price from 2010.

Grade I winner Ave became the first horse to bring a seven-figure price at the Keeneland January horses of all age sale when she sold for $1.4 million three-quarters of the way through the first session in Lexington Jan. 10.

Arlington Park chairman Richard L. Duchossois, who named the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) for his wife, won the race for the first time when his Eclair de Lune rolled to victory over Hot Cha Cha.

Mekong Melody, making his first start since last September, held off closing favorite Ave by a nose to give trainer Roger Attfield the first two finishers in the $284,809 Dance Smartly Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine July 18.

Last at the top of the stretch, Charles Fipke's homebred Lady Shakespeare rolled past all three rivals inside the sixteenth-pole en route to a 2 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) June 19 at Belmont.